However, it is also known to introduce a composition into the steam ejected by a steam cleaning device by providing the composition in an encapsulated form. For example, EP 2 465 400 A describes a cleaning cloth for use with a steam mop having a housing for mounting the cloth for cleaning a surface to be cleaned and a steam delivery system for delivering steam to the cleaning cloth. The cleaning cloth has at least one fabric layer which is configured to be attached to a steam mop and an encapsulated cleaning composition associated with the fabric layer and configured to be released by exposure of steam delivered to the cleaning cloth.
Both of the above ways of introducing a composition into the steam ejected by a steam cleaning device have the disadvantage, however, that the usage time of the composition is linked to that of the water supply on the one hand and the cleaning cloth on the other. Thus, if the composition is introduced into the water reservoir of the steam cleaning device, the composition is exhausted at the same time as the reservoir is emptied of water. It is also important for a user to introduce a correct dosage of composition into the reservoir to avoid either an amount of composition which is too low to be effective or which on account of being too high, may leave an undesirable residue or have a damaging effect on the surface to be cleaned. If, however, the composition is provided in encapsulated form associated with a fabric layer of a cleaning cloth in the manner of EP 2 465 400 A, then whenever the cloth needs cleaning or replacing, which may typically happen after only one or two cleaning sessions, then the composition has to be treated in some way by a user at the same time, for example by being removed and replaced, which is also undesirable in terms of rate of usage of the composition, rather than its dosage.